Do your case studies get people hot under the collar?
A while back I explored the role of the agency creds deck, arguing that the classic ‘show and tell’ does neither the agency nor the client any favours.
I’d go so far to say they should be scrapped altogether. But that’s never going to happen. Creds are a deeply ingrained feature in how agencies and clients seek to work together. So, if an outright ban is out of the question, how can we make them better?
I’d like to take a look at perhaps the most important aspect of the creds; case studies. This is of course where the agency has the opportunity to bring to life the primary (perhaps the only) reason why they exist in the first place; to deliver impactful work that addresses a client need or problem.
As an aside, someone once said to me that “prospects don’t care about the work you have done for others. They only care about what you can do for them”. I agree with this…to an extent. But I also wonder if agencies have conditioned some buyers to think this way because the case studies presented are too often completely irrelevant. And even when they are, the actual content itself is yawn-inducing.
You’ve got their attention. Don’t waste the opportunity
Taking that first point, if you’re presenting a case study that has little or no contextual relevance to the prospect, then I’d question why you’re in the room in the first place. But let’s forget that and assume you should be in the room. Goddam, you’ve fought tooth and nail to be in that room. But then you go and spoil it all by following an all too familiar structure when you get to the ‘our work’ bit. It might go something like this:
Background…some mundane stuff about the client that you probably sourced from Wikipedia.
What we did…a richly detailed description of your approach, methodology or processes. Yawn.
Results…an underwhelming stat about how you increased traffic, conversion rate or something equally noncommercial.
Client testimonial…a quote that you (probably) wrote on behalf of the client because they couldn’t be bothered or didn’t actually think the work was all that good.
I’d like to say my efforts at sarcasm are an exaggeration, but I’ve literally seen hundreds of case studies like this. Hold fire, come to think of it I’ve probably written a few in my time. Arse.
Prospects want stories, not just stats
Irrespective of the detail, there’s one thing that case studies tend to lack. And that’s a story. A proper start, middle and end. Or maybe not an end, more of a look to the future. Because let’s be honest, client / agency relationships are rarely smooth sailing. There are always bumps in the road, right? Why are we so wary to talk about these, to tell the real story?
Don’t worry. I’m not talking about the time when the account manager had one too many shandies and told the client where to go. That’s too much detail.
But what a case study should do is to describe the problem you were hired to solve, the challenges faced by the client and the obstacles you overcame together. The aim is to create a bit of drama, which in turn should stir the emotions. Yes, you heard me right. We want prospects to get emotional with our case studies. Remember, that’s how people buy. Initially, decisions are based on emotion. Rationality only enters the picture later on when we seek to justify a decision with facts.
A few questions to get you started
So how do you go about making your case studies more compelling, more emotional? Try these questions for starters. If you can’t answer them, go and speak to the client. If they can’t answer them, worry.
How did the client find you? Why did they choose you and who was involved?
What were they trying to achieve and why?
What did it mean to them? What might have happened if they hadn’t addressed the problem?
What had they tried previously? If they failed at past attempts, why?
What were the challenges you and the client faced along the way? How did you work together to overcome them?
What have you helped them achieve? How have you directly or indirectly affected revenue, profit or productivity, for example?
What about your impact across other areas of the business? What opportunities have they been able to exploit?
How have you made things easier for the people who work with?
What lessons did you learn along the way?
What does the future hold? What’s next for you and the client?
Much is said about the need for agencies to be more authentic, dare I say ‘honest’. What better place to showcase this than your case studies. You know, the actual work you do, the reason why you’ve been hired first place.
So, next time you’re writing a case study, ask yourself; is this telling the real story? Is this in any way exciting? Because if your case studies don’t get you hot under the collar, then it’s doubtful they’ll be doing anything for your prospects. When you only present a dry description of the work you did, you’re more likely boring them to a slow death.